Tribute to YSR

Prashun Bhaumik |

By Sanghita Singh

Kuchipudi exponents Raja and Radha Reddy dedicated their three-day Parampara festival (featuring the likes of MP Naveen Jindal’s wife, Shallu Jindal and flautist Hari Prasad Chaurasia) to their dear departed friend and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy. It seems Raja Reddy and YSR had started their careers together in the 70s and had known each other since their early days of struggle. After mulling over calling off the festival which was to start a day after YSR Reddy’s tragic death, smses were sent off to guests at midnight affirmnimg that the festival would go ahead as scheduled. But the chief guest, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife, Gursharan Kaur decided to stay away and called up the Reddys to convey that she would not attend any public function as a mark of respect to YSR. The Reddys had started the Parampara series in Hyderabad thanks to YSR who on account of being a busy Chief Minister could never attend the festival in Delhi and had asked them to organise a similar event in Hyderabad. The Reddys missed YSR dearly. They recalled having watched a film on YSR along with him and his family soon after his famous padayatra.